Motor-vehicle.



C. Gu ELLIS, In.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I7. 1917.

Patented Feb. 5,191.8.

INVENTOR ATTORN EY CHARLES G. ELLIS, JR, OE PLAINVILLE, INDIANA.

Moron-veterans.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 191..

Application filed April 17, 1917. Serial No. 162,765.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. ELLIS, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainville, in the county of Daviess and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor- Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to motor vehicles and particularly to a motor sled, the primary'object being to provide a conveyance propelled through the medium of motive power supplied by a hydrocarbon motor and connected to a driving propeller by which the conveyance is driven.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a motor vehicle which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple in construction, but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and merits thereof,'reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, in which;

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the body being partly broken away and disclosing the interior.

Referring to the drawing, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the body 1 of the conveyance is of substantially cylindrical formation and the forward end carries a conical frontpiece 2, while the rear end of the body carries a rear conical tail-piece 3. This construction provides a conveyance that will offer a minimum resistance to the wind and air currents, while it is in motion. This body is constructed of light material that will be strong and durable to' provide a substantial structure for accommodating passengers. The bottom of the body portion 1 is open, and this open space is provided with the longitudinally extending beams 4c. The main body portion is divided by a partition 5 for forming a passenger compartment 6, and a motor compartment Within the passenger compartment 6 is an upbolstered seat 8, upon which one or two passengers may be seated for traveling in the conveyance. Beneath the seat is a tank 9 in which gasolene or other desirable hydrocarbon fluid is stored.

In the motor compartment 7 is arran ed.

a high speed hydrocarbon motor 10 pre erably of the type commonly employed on aeroplanes. The crank shaft of the motor carries a friction clutch disk 11 having a bevel edge engageable with the correspond- 111g bevel edge of an intermediate clutch disk 12 carried on a counter-shaft 13. One end of the counter-shaft 13 is mounted in a bearing 14 fixed to the forward end of the motor, while the opposite end of the shaft.

ranged at the forward end of the body. A driving shaft 17 has a bearing in the partition 15 and the forward end wall 18 of the body and the shaft is centrally located and projects forwardly through the center of the conical forward end-pieceQ. The rear end of the shaft 17 carries a friction disk 19 engageable with the disk 12. It will be obvious, therefore, that the shaft 17 will be rotated when the disks ll, 12 and 19 are engaged as shown by Fig. 1 of the drawing.

A clutch lever 20 is pivotally mounted in the passenger compartment 6, the leverbeing supported by one of the beams a. A connecting rod 21 connects the lever 20 with a clutch shifting lever 22 which is pivoted on the end of the crank shaft between the fly-wheel and the disk 11, and has its upper end connected to the shaft 13. The shaft 13 is longitudinally movable in its bearings and, therefore, when the lever 20 is shifted, the shaft 13 may also be moved to disengage the intermediate clutch disk 12 from engagement with the corresponding disks.

The forward end of the shaft 17 projects outwardly beyond the apex of the conical front-piece 2, and this extended end carries a propeller 23 which will be rotated when the shaft 17 is rotated. A guard 2 1 cmbraces the propeller and protects the latter from injury, and to prevent injury being done to persons who come in close proximity to the propeller, while the same is in motion.

the steering mechanism compartment 16, ar-

Therear of the body is supported by thei runners 25, the same being laterally spaced 10 which 'is mounted a spiral gear 30 in mesh apart and connected by'the s'up'ports'flfi' to the body. The forward runner Q'Z is disposed centrally beneath the body and is pivotallymonnted in the frontbearing 28-, .whereby the runner may be turned to guide the conveyance.

Within the compartment 1 6 and fastened to the front end wall 18 is a brjacket29 which carries a studshaft upon with aispiral piinion 31 carried by the steerin'g'post 32, the rear end ofwhi'chterminates in thepassenger compartment 6,- and'isprov1d'edw1th a steering wheel Thegear ca'r'r1es a stud tconn'ected to one end of a cra'nk' arm 35,the opposite end of which is From the foregoing it will be observed that a very simpleand durable motor vehicle has'beenprovided, the details of-which embody the'preferred form. I desire it to l A inotor vehicle of the character de- 35 scribed comprisinga body a shaft. extending f I Copies of thispatent may be obtained for be understood, however, that slight changes "in the minor details of construction may be madejwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims herefun'to appended;

Iiclaimz forwardly through the body, and carrying a propeller at its outer end, a power means, a clutch disk connected to the power means.

a second clutch disk carried by the said shaft, a third clutch disk interposed between :the two first mentioned clutched disks and having their peripheries in engagement, and means for shifting the said third clutch disk into and out of engagement with the peripheries of the other two clutch disks.

2. A motor vehicle of the character de- 7 scribed comprising a body a shaft extending forwardly through the body, and carrying a propeller at its outer end, a power means, a clutch disk connected to the power means,a second clutch disk carried by the said shaft, a third clutch disk interposed between the two first mentioned clutched disks and having their peripheries in engagement,

and means for shifting the said third clutch disk into and out of engagement with the peripheries of the other two clutch disks, the

said third disk being provided with a shaft fixed to the disk, means for slidably supporting the shaft, and manually operated means attached to the shaft for moving the latter todisenga e the said third disk with the other two isks. f In testlmony whereof I afhx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES G. ELLIS, JR.

' Witnesses.

EPH. GREGORY,

ARTA AICWILLIAMS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7 Washington, D. G.

(ill 

